Improvement in bee-hives



T4.1-'\. BINGHAM.

Bee Hive.

Patented Aug. "-9, 1864.

mum w ems 'Q bx m nesis'ea' UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

T. F. BINGHAM, OF GOWANDA, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming parts of Letters Patent No. 43,756, dated August 9, 1864.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, T. 1+. BINGHAM, of Gowauda, in the county of (Jattaraugus and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Bee-Hive; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadv to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a vertical section of my invention, taken in the line 00 m, Fig. 2 Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same, taken in the line ac m, Fig. 1 Fig. 3, ahorizontal section of a portion of the same, taken in the liney y, Fig. 1 Fig. 4, a vertical section of the lower part of the same, taken in the line 09":10, Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a plan or top view of a feeding-box pertaining to the same Fig. 6, a vertical section of the same, taken in the line 3 3 Fig. 5, Fig. 7, a vertical section of a feeding-cup per t-aining to the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention has for its objectthc obtaining of a bee-hive which will effectually protect the bees during the winter season, and the providing of the hive with an entrance well adapted for it, and which will be capable of being adjusted to suit the various circumstances required in bee-culture.

The invention also has for its object the construetin g of the comb-frames in such a manner that they will economize in space, and at .the same time effectually support the combs and the invention has further for its object the obtaining of an extension-cap to the hive, so arranged that supplemental spare-honey boxes may be added or applied when necessary.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it. 4

The body or main portion of the hive I construct with three walls, a b c, placed at a suitable distance apart, so as to form two dead-air spaces, at d, which spaces may, if desired, be filled with any suitable non-conducting material. The bottom of the hive is composed of three pieces, 0 c e, which may also be placed and secured at a suitable distance apart to admit of spaces beingbetween them, as shown in the side walls, a, or said pieces 0 may be secured together in close contact, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The bee-entrance is at the lower part of the front side of the hive, and it is composed of two parts, f f. The outer part,

hive, and is fitted in an opening which extends the whole width of the hive. This part falso has an oblong opening, 9, in it which is closed by a slide, h, when necessary, and in the under side off, directly under the opening 1, there is made an oblong slot, t. The part f of the bee-entrance is secured by screws j j to the inner wall, 0, of the hive, said screws passing through vertical slots 70 in f, and the latter has an oblong opening, Z, made in it which is covered with wire-cloth m, and may be stopped or closed by a slide, a, when necessary. (See Figs. 1, 2, and 3.) The lower edge off is also provided with an oblong slot, a about equal in dimensions to the slot i in the front part, f. The bottom of the hive projects outward some distance in front to serve as an alighting-board, 0. (See Fig. 1.) By this mode of constructing the hive the bees season, the triple walls keeping the interior of the hive at a uniform temperature and sufficiently high so that the moisture will not condense on the inner wall, 0. The hive therefore will always be dry and the bees kept in a healthy state, and the hive protected from injury produced by moisture.

By having the bee-entrance composed of two parts, as shown, the frost is prevented from entering the hive, and the inner part, f, may be adjusted so as to admit of the bees passing under it its entire length, or over it, as may be desired, or to admit of the air passing into the hive, both above and below it, while the entrance for the bees will be confined to the slot a When a swarm of bees is being hived, the part f may be so adjusted as to pre vent the exit of the queen and yet allow the free entrance and egress of the workers; or said part may be so adjusted as to prevent the entrance of drones when it is desirable to diminish their number, and by means of an in; ner' projection, b the moth is effectually excluded. By removing the outer part, f, a protected summer entrance is obtained, the bees being furnished with a good shelter, which is a greafladvantage in windy weather, and in winter by using the two parts f f the hive is kept warm. The outer part, f, may be used at any time, however, and with great advantage f, extends past the two outer walls, a b, of the will be perfectly protected during the winter during the moth season, as the two parts render the hive .essentially moth-proof.o On. the upper part of the main portion or body of the hive there is placed arim,A,composed of four sides, but having no top nor bottom. This rim A is fitted around cleats p on the top of the hive, and within it are placed the spare-honey nally inserted in the cap-that is, when the latter-named boxes are nearly full. During the inter season a bottom may be placed in the rim A, with a proper ventilating-opening, and straw or other suitable non-conducting material may be placed within A, which, when the cover B is fitted over it, will form a great protection against the cold.

0 represents the combframes, which are composed each of a top bar, 8, of triangular form in its transverse section, and having a square or rectangular bar, It, secured to its under side. The bar t is rather shorter than the bar 8, and to each side of the bar t, at about its center, there is attached a pendent or vertical bar, u, the latter extending down to nearly the bottom of the hive and having a cross-piece, v, between them at about their centers. i

To eachend of the bar t there is attached a pendent or vertical bar, to, and these bars extend down to about half the length of the bars a. edges of the top of the body or main portion of the hive. By this mode of construction the combs will be efficiently supported and much room or space in the hive is saved. Bees do not attach the combs more than half-way down the sides of the frame, and never at the bottom, and hence the square frames hitherto used monopolize unnecessarily considerable space. v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A bee-hive constructed with triple walls a b c, with spaces at d between them, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The bee-entrance composed of two parts, ff, both parts being provided with openings or slots, and the inner one,f ,made adjustable, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

V 3. The comb-frames composed of the horizontal bars 8 t and pendent bars" a w, all arranged and combined as and for the purpose specified. A 7

4.. The rim A, in combination with the cover B, arranged and applied as and for the purpose specified.

Witnesses: T. T. BIN GH AM CHARLES W. OHAFFA, ALEX. R. MULFIRT.

The ends of the bars 8 rest on the 

